Apply now »

Improvement Leader (CI) Graduate 

 

ShapeSalary & Benefits 

 

  • Starting salary: £32,000, rising to £37,000 by end of year 2 

  • Extras: £2,000 signing bonus, annual bonus, 25 days holiday + bank holidays + wellness day 

  • Pension: Up to 12% company contribution 

  • Life assurance: 4x pensionable salary 

  • Permanant substantive role offer upon completion of programme subject to performance 

 
  • Flexible Benefits Package 
  • Includes health cash plan, critical illness and dental insurance, life assurance flex (with partner cover), retail discounts, online GP access, cycle-to-work scheme, gym membership savings, and more. 

 

Location: West Yorkshire with requirement for flexible travel across Yorkshire & Humber. 

 

Work type:  37 hours per week between a working window of 8:00am-6:00pm Monday – Friday 

 

Why Yorkshire Water? 

 

Yorkshire Water delivers essential water and wastewater services to over 5.4 million people. But we’re more than taps and toilets—we protect the environment, support communities, and help shape Yorkshire’s future. 

 

From tackling climate change to planning for droughts and floods, we’re solving some of the biggest challenges facing our region and we need talented graduates to help us do it. 

 

Your Graduate Programme 

 

Our two-year programme offers you five placements across your allocated business area, complemented by a choice of placements to suit your personal development needs in core functions such as Finance, Health & Safety, People, and Procurement, enabling you to have a balanced understanding of the business. You’ll gain hands-on experience, technical and leadership training, and support from mentors, managers, graduate alumni, and our Early in Careers team to support you from the day you make the decision to join us. 

 

By the end of the scheme, you’ll be ready to step into a permanent role and make a lasting impact.  

 

Your Team 

 

Customer Experience is at the very heart of how we develop a business that serves a thriving Yorkshire, right for customers, right for the environment. 

 

Your Role: 

 

As a Improvement Leader (CI) Graduate, you will: 

 

  • Join our existing Business Insights and Service Planning team, within Customer Experience.  

  • Develop and maintain Continuous Improvement plans aligned with organisational goals. 

  • Identify development opportunities and initiatives underpinned by quantitative and qualitative data. 

  • Influence the performance of the Customer Experience team, by  Implementing and monitoring performance metrics to track improvement success. 

  • For your duration in the role, you will be assigned a line manager and a mentor from within the Business Insights and Planning Service community. 

 

 

What you’ll need to be successful  

 

  • A minimum 2:1 Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject. 

  • An individual with a strong knowledge of process improvement methodologies. 

  • Ability to work to manage change and influence stakeholders across the business 

  • Excellent communication, facilitation and leadership abilities. 

  • UK Drivers License and Access to own vehicle 

 

Desirable previous experience 

 

  • Degree in Business or Certified in Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt or higher) or Agile practices are important to the role.  

Shape 

Key Dates

 

  • Closing date: 9th November 2025 

  • Assessment Centres:  between 17th November 2025 to 5th December 2025 

  • Start date:  14th September 2026 

 

We’re proud to serve Yorkshire and are committed to building a diverse, inclusive workforce that reflects our communities. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. 

 

Successful candidates will undergo pre-employment checks, including a Basic Disclosure via a third-party provider. Some roles may also require Counter Terrorist or Security Check clearance. 

 

Kelda Group reserve the right to close applications early, so we recommend applying as soon as possible 

What's in it for you?

Career enhancement and development, colleague well-being and a genuinely positive work experience for all are key priorities. We are continuously evolving and improving our ways of working and you will support us in achieving our vision of 'taking responsibility for the water environment for good'.

If you feel this opportunity is suitable and you match the skills required, then please apply on line and complete the application process.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

The Kelda Group provides water and sewerage services to domestic and business customers across the UK, managing the following subsidiary companies: - 

Yorkshire Water, is the main subsidiary company providing water and sewerage services to 4.7 million people and 130,000 businesses in the Yorkshire region. Its activities are regulated by the Water Services Regulation Authority, Ofwat Loop Customer Management Ltd specialises in delivering customer service support to Yorkshire Water that includes billing, debt recovery and incident management. Employing more than 600 people, Loop have built up an impressive list of industry awards and achievements since being created in 2000 and is currently listed in the Sunday Times Top 100 list as being one of the best companies to work for.

Kelda Water Services (KWS) manages Kelda's non-regulated water and waste water contract operations. It is now the second biggest player in the UK market for outsourced clean and waste water services.

Kelda Water Services Retail offer quality, integrity and partnership but it is never just about the technologies behind our solutions in water. It is about the structure, delivery and even the financing of those solutions, and about giving our customers a level of convenience they never knew was possible.

KeyLand Developments Limited (KeyLand Developments) is responsible for managing, developing and disposing of the group's surplus property assets, either on its own or in partnership with outside organisations.

Kelda Group values equality, diversity and inclusion we believe that everyone should be treated with respect. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of gender, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, religion or belief and trade union membership.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

Improvement Leader (CI) Graduate

Apply now »